1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a supplementary steering assembly of the type used with an outboard motor and attachable thereto for lateral positioning thereof when the normal or primary steering assembly and/or throttling assembly becomes incapacitated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The most common outboard steering systems on outboard motors of fifty horsepower and above, generally incorporate a cable system attachable by some means to a steering wheel or like member. The cable slides forward and backwards inside a metal sheath. This movement by the cable in turn pushes and pulls the outboard motor from side to side in order to steer the boat in the intended direction. A plastic sheath encases the steering cable and metal sheath for the purpose of protection by repelling moisture which would otherwise come in contact with the metallic inner workings of the cable system.
However, the plastic sheath eventually has a tendency to break down and crack when exposed to the ultra violet rays of sun. When such breakdown begins to occur, moisture is allowed to penetrate the outer metal sheath and the deterioration at this portion of the cable begins. The greatest strain on the cable of a cable steering system is due to foreign matter entering the end of the tilt tube. The tilt tube is well recognized in the industry as the tube structure on which the motor pivots forward. The solid ram, which is part of the steering cable assembly, is inserted through the tilt tube and slides forward and backward therethrough. As the steering cable ram is retracted, it brings moisture into the tilt tube. Moisture entering by this means comes in direct contact with the inner core cable. This results in the metal sheath and sliding cable beginning to deteriorate once so exposed.
A solidifying of the lubricant used on the steering cable ram occurs due to fine foreign granular material being carried with the spray, which occurs when the boat is underway, and is deposited onto the lubricant and intermixes therewith.
This granular material which consists of silts and in coastal regions, the addition of sea salt, is carried into the tilt tube when the steering ram is retracted. This forms a paste-like substance which, if allowed to solidify, binds the steering ram to the inner wall of the tilt tube. This conditon is a common occurrence if the steering system is allowed to stand unused for even the normal interval between boating excursions.
It is the force required to free the steering cable ram, which is often the cause of strand breakage of the strands of the steering cable. The degree of breakage is indeterminate, due to the steering being completely encased.
The steering system, due to this exercise, has been freed and therefore the planned boating excursion will take place. However, the remaining life of the cable is indeterminate.
If either the above conditions exist, increased force is placed on the cable because sliding of such cable frequently becomes more difficult. Such increased strain eventually causes a snapping of the cable and the rendering of the steering cable system useless. Such failure can occur even though the user or occupant of the boat checks the steering system prior to taking the boat out. Commonly such a failure and breakdown of the cable system steering assembly occurs when the boat is far from land or safe harbor.
Furthermore, when such failure occurs the occupant or individual in a boat will generally attempt to hold onto the engine housing and position it manually in the intended steering direction. However, at this point one soon realizes that an engine of fifty horsepower or greater developes such torque even at relatively low speeds, sufficient to enable the motor to pull away from any manual positioning thereof. Such developed torque will put the boat in a left-hand turn at a speed which is well under the plane speed. As the engine size increases from the fifty horsepower range to the V-Six engines, the magnitude of the torque increases to an awesome level. The end result is that the motor is highly unmanageable for the manual positioning technique as set forth above even at extremely low speeds. This of course puts the boater in great danger when the breakdown of a primary steering system occurs a great distance from safe harbor.
Similar problems develop when failure in the throttle cable system also develops. If an individual is alone in a boat incorporating an outboard motor that has such a throttle cable failure, it is impossible for him to steer the boat from the normally located control panel while at the same time regulating the speed of the engine which must occur directly on the engine itself. Accordingly, the conventional the primary steering system must be disconnected.
In the aforementioned situations where the primary steering assembly becomes incapacitated or otherwise must be disconnected, it is obviously necessary to provide some supplementary or auxiliary steering assembly. Such an assembly should be capable of attachment to an outboard motor in a manner which provides enough leverage for manual positioning of the outboard motor. This leverage is necessary to overcome the torque developed when high powered outboard motors run at a normal speed. Such an auxiliary steering assembly should be readily adaptable for attachment to any outboard motor regardless of manufacturer. Further, it should be lightweight, inexpensive to maintain and purchase and otherwise generally convenient to carry in the boat without taking up unnecesary room. The design of such a supplementary steering assembly should be such as to allow the occupant of a boat, with limited mechanical ability, to readily attach the supplementary steering assembly to the outboard motor in a prescribed manner.